"It's your turn." Madison looked at Mavi with a triumphant smile, eager to see what he would roll.
But just then, instead of picking up the dice on the table, Mavi confidently stood up and walked straight toward the bar's central music stage.
Madison and Olivia exchanged glances, surprised by Mavi's decisiveness. They couldn't help but whisper to Jennifer, "Hey, Jennifer, we didn't expect your friend to have such a bold personality."
Jennifer simply smiled and took a sip of her champagne. Her attention was fully focused on Mavi, anticipating his upcoming performance.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Mavi, dressed in a deep blue suit, casually walked onto the stage. He requested a guitar, a high stool, and a microphone from the staff. Sitting down calmly, he adjusted the mic in front of him.
"Wait a minute, Jennifer. The song you sent us was a piano version, right? So why is he playing the guitar instead? Is he doing a guitar cover?" Madison and Olivia asked, puzzled.
"Maybe. Let's listen and see," Jennifer replied, curious about how a guitar version of You Raise Me Up would sound.
However, just as the three expected Mavi to perform You Raise Me Up, he strummed the strings and began singing a completely different song—one they had never heard before.
"When your legs don't..."
It was a song from his past life that he loved—Thinking Out Loud. The lyrics, when translated , meant something like: "When your legs no longer move the way they used to..."
"When I no longer make your heart race the way I used to..."
The song's melody was deeply emotional, perfectly suited for the intimate ambiance of a bar. The guitar accompaniment wasn't too complex, and with the six months of guitar practice from his past life, Mavi could handle it with ease.
"Oh my God, this song is incredible! How can it be this good?" Madison and Olivia were captivated, feeling as if their ears had been blessed. The beautiful melody and heartfelt lyrics immediately won over many women in the audience.
Jennifer stared at Mavi without blinking. At that moment, he seemed dazzling—so radiant that in the crowded bar, she could only see him, while everyone else faded into the background.
As Mavi played his guitar and sang, two foreign women in tight dresses, wearing high heels and holding glasses of red wine, gracefully made their way to the front of the stage. They sipped their wine while admiring Mavi up close.
It was clear from their expressions that they were very interested in him. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, if things progressed, they might even end up in bed together.
When Mavi finished the song, the entire bar—men and women, from every corner—erupted into applause.
Such an enthusiastic response was impressive, considering the patrons of this bar were at least upper-middle-class individuals with refined taste.
Mavi basked in the admiration, enjoying a brief moment of what it felt like to be a star.
At that moment, a woman in a red dress, standing at the front of the stage, continued clapping enthusiastically.
As Mavi stepped down from the stage, she approached him with a smile and introduced herself. "Hello, handsome. That was an amazing performance! I work for Warner Records. Would you be interested in signing with our label? Here's my card."
She took a business card from her wallet and handed it to him.
"No, thank you," Mavi declined without hesitation.
Rather than becoming a celebrity constantly in the public eye, he preferred a more low-key lifestyle. He would rather be a hidden tycoon than a world-famous star or billionaire.
Hearing his refusal, the woman tactfully walked away. Meanwhile, Mavi, under the admiring gazes of the crowd, leisurely returned to his seat.
Before he could sit down, Madison and Olivia excitedly showered him with praise.
"Mavi, what's the name of that song you just sang? It was absolutely beautiful!"
"Yeah, it was amazing!"
Taking a sip of his champagne, Mavi replied, "It's called Thinking Out Loud."
As Mavi spoke, Jennifer—who would normally have joined the conversation—remained uncharacteristically silent. She quietly sipped her champagne, drinking until a slight flush appeared on her face.
She occasionally glanced at Mavi but didn't say a word.
When her two best friends left for the restroom to touch up their makeup, the previously lively booth became much quieter, leaving only Jennifer and Mavi.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Jennifer quickly stood up and said, "I'm going to check on them in the restroom."
Mavi nodded. "Okay."
But just as she stood up, she suddenly lost her balance, stumbling over the table and falling forward.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Mavi instinctively took a quick step forward and extended his arm, catching Jennifer securely in his embrace, preventing her from an embarrassing fall.
…
Well, that's how it would have played out in a movie or TV drama.
In reality, Jennifer simply let out a startled yelp and fell to the ground. Mavi, being quick on his feet, hurried over and helped her up.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I-I'm fine," Jennifer stammered, her face turning an even deeper shade of red than when she was drinking. Even her ears were burning with embarrassment.
Her fall wasn't Mavi's fault—no normal person could react that fast, especially after having a few drinks.
Mavi helped Jennifer back to her seat and gestured for her to stay put instead of wandering around.
Jennifer bit her lip, her face still flushed with embarrassment. In all her life, she had never been so mortified. She suddenly regretted standing up to look for her friends in the first place.
Mavi, watching Jennifer's adorably flustered expression, suddenly realized that despite being a wealthy heiress, she had a cute, clumsy side to her. And to his surprise, she wasn't throwing a tantrum over her mishap—no signs of frustration or anger.
Maybe she wasn't as spoiled as he had assumed.